3D TV tech gets analyzed by NY Times

The New York Times has posted an article on the upcoming surge of 3D TVs. Here are some basic consumer questions on the new technology:

Do I still have to use those dumb blue-and-red glasses?

No. Those glasses are used in something called anaglyphic 3-D. They use two colors — red and blue (sometimes green) — to create two different “views” of an image. Popular in the 1950s and 1960s, they are going the way of the dodo. Now you have to use newer, sleeker dumb glasses.

Can I just keep the glasses I used when I watched “Avatar” and “Up” in the theater?

Technically you should be able to — those are passive 3-D glasses and they use a system of polarization that splits the image on screen into two separate images. This is fine for a large room when everyone is seated in front of the screen. But 3-D TV manufacturers can’t tell what your room will look like and, more important, don’t want to sell 3-D glasses for a few pennies when they can sell fancier “active” glasses for $70.

Active? $70? What’s so special?

Active glasses allow light to reach only one eye at a time. As you watch the video, the display shows one side of the image, then the other in rapid succession. The glasses sync up with the image, alternately darkening over one eye. In this way, the display presents a different perspective for each eye. This also allows you to walk around the room and still get a fairly good 3-D effect.

The glasses flash? Are they electronic? That means you have to charge them, right?

Yes. As if there weren’t enough wires in your family room.

Read the full article: Link >>

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